I make no apologies…I like Happy Hour. It’s an easy and often time economical way to have a nice cocktail and some good food. Today it was Nine-Ten

I like the way they roll…Happy Hour starts at 3:30 pm. How civilized!!

First of all for the uninitiated, Nine-Ten is in the Colonial Hotel in La Jolla. Second, run, do not walk, for the cocktail they call the Jaybiscus. Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila + hibiscus (jamacia really) + Lemon + ginger + simple syrup = one of the best cocktails I’ve had in a very, very long time. Not too sweet, not too tart, good balance all the way around. In talking to the bartender she said the hibuscus flowers (really a flower in the sorrel family) is steamed with lemon, ginger and some sugar and then vacuum sealed and allowed to steep for 3 days. it is not my mission to recreate this cocktail at home without the fancy equipment Wish me luck

Bar food is 25% off during Happy Hour. Here’s what we ordered…

Cacio e Pepe…everyone’s pasta darling these days. The Nine-Ten version is porcini mushroom spaghettini, cured egg yolk, parmesan, cracked black pepper, shaved mushroom and it was stunningly delicious. I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I would happily slurp this down any day of the week.

Roasted Bosc Pear & Prosciutto Salad…what’s not to like with pears and prosciutto? Well, we found out. This dish, while pretty to look at, missed on flavor and balance. It was overwhelmed with too much (I know how can there be too much) prosciutto to the point of excess saltiness. The burrata on the plate didn’t really meld with the pears and prosciutto and the few wisps of arugula felt more like an afterthough than an defined part of the dish. All the components individually were stellar, they just weren’t all playing for the same team when teamed together

4 cocktails + 3 appetizers + tip = $105. Quality on all of them was outstanding, even on the salad that we though was a miss. Portions are adequate for 1 person, but probably a little lean if you intend to share.

Sorry to disappoint you RD but we had an opening to get to so had to stop somewhere.

The La Jolla Historical Society a few blocks down the street from The Colonial, has a tremendous photography exhibit by Harry Crosby, a La Jolla resident and well known photographer of Baja. As a fledgling photog he had an assignment to do a photo essay on Tijuana…in 1964. There are about 60 photos from the era (some from several institutions in Tijuana) and they did a bang-up job of mounting the exhibit. I highly recommend it. Wed - Sun Noon to 4 pm.